How to Cut Vinyl Super Small with a Cricut Machine

How to Cut Vinyl Super Small with a Cricut Machine

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This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

As a Cricut crafter, you may have attempted to cut teeny, tiny letters and then given up because it is just too frustrating. I have been there too. I will share some of my favorite tips to cut, weed, and transfer your vinyl… you will need patience, but you can do it!

Here’s what we need to get this craft party started:

If at any point during this tutorial you get lost or confused, click the image and it’ll take you to that exact moment in a full how-to video tutorial. The video will show you everything you need to know about cutting vinyl super teeny, tiny!

Just want to check out the video? Watch it below!  

 

Cutting Your StarCraft HD Vinyl 

I had been hearing about this StarCraft HD vinyl all over the internet and was so excited to try it out so I could give you an honest review. I feel like all too often people blindly stand behind products without ever trying them. Well, rest assured, I need to do my due diligence before drawing any conclusions or making any claims. I did my research and right off the bat I was pretty impressed. StarCraft HD Vinyl is made in America and the company states that it is rated up to 5-6 years durability. HD stands for High Durability and is available in both matte and gloss finishes. 

When it arrived, I already had a project in my mind that I knew would put it to the test. I have a small little chalkboard in my laundry room that desperately needed some vinyl icons. I wasn’t sure if the Cricut would even be able to cut as small as I wanted. I pulled up the recommended settings for the HD vinyl and did a small test cut! I was surprised with the results and went ahead and cut the entire design using the recommendations provided by 651Vinyl.   

If you are new to Cricut or new to vinyl, check out this blog post to learn more about working with vinyl!

How to Weed Your Intricate Cuts 

Once your design is finished cutting, trim it down, and weed it. I found adding some weeding lines really helps! Hindsight, I probably should have added those to the cut file so that my Cricut could have cut them perfectly straight. In the file below, I added an option with weeding lines for you. Since I didn’t add mine to the file, I used a ruler and a knife to cut through the vinyl to make weeding a little easier.     

With the added cut lines, it makes the vinyl more manageable to weed. The worst part about weeding vinyl is that it has a tendency to stick to itself. Weeding in smaller portions helps reduce the risk of unwanted sticking. Make sure to go super slowly and keep a close eye on all of the small letters. In the video, I mention that I cut this a lot smaller than Cricut would recommend cutting… but if you know me… you know I like testing the limits. I was very impressed to see how well the Cricut cut the StarCraft vinyl, but you do have to weed it super slowly so that your tiny letters don’t shift.  

Transfer Using the Hinge Method

I am going to say this until I am blue in the face– use the hinge method to transfer your vinyl!!! Don’t know about the hinge method? Here is a blog post that will show you all about it! 

Since this was my first time using the 651Vinyl Transfer Tape, I wish I would have checked to see if the little letters transferred before starting the hinge method. So do what I say and not as I do! Cover your entire image with transfer tape and after you burnish your transfer tape over your design, peel off the entire piece of tape to make sure all of the letters transfer and then place it back on the liner! I had to fight the vinyl a little bit to get it to adhere to the tape. Next time I will get it off the liner first, then lightly place it back down on the liner, and then line it up for the hinge method. Hopefully that makes sense, but if not, leave me a comment below and I will get you the help you need! 

Peel off the transfer tape 

I made this its own step because I was so impressed with how easily the transfer tape released from the vinyl and chalkboard! I only had to use my tweezers to push down two or three little areas. The tape wasn’t too sticky and left absolutely no residue on my project. I think it helped that the vinyl has a permanent adhesive so when it came in contact with my chalkboard, it held tight! Clearly I am impressed so far with this StarCraft HD Vinyl! 

This vinyl does have a curing period for about 24- 72 hours. So make sure that you don’t expose it to the elements for those first few days if you want it to hold up!

Looking for the SVG mentioned in the video?

If you are looking for the SVG used in the tutorial– here it is! Simply agree to the “Terms & Conditions” and subscribe to my email list to download! Your support means the world to me!

Laundry Room Icons
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*Don’t forget to select everything and “attach” it before you cut it on your Cricut machine :)! The “attach” function will hold all of the icons and weeding lines in place.

Need help downloading the SVG and uploading it to Cricut Design Space?

Not a problem– check out the video below! And while you’re there, I’d love if you subscribe to my channel!

Are you excited to get started?! Here is the list of supplies to get your teeny, tiny vinyl project underway! 

 Here’s what we need to get this craft party started:

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy Crafting,

Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below! 

Have specific Cricut questions?  Join Our Facebook Group!

Join Now!

Rainbow Baby Closet Dividers

Rainbow Baby Closet Dividers

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This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

One of my best friends is having her first baby and I am so incredibly excited for her! I took a look at her registry and saw she was registered for baby hangers. First of all, as someone who does not have babies yet, baby hangers are the cutest! I added those to my shopping cart and then quickly began brainstorming what I could make to go alongside the gift! In a few minutes, I had this idea sketched up and could not be happier with how they turned out. She is doing a rainbow-themed nursery and I think these will go perfectly with the decor.

Here’s what we need to get this craft party started:

If at any point during this tutorial you get lost or confused, click the image and it’ll take you to that exact moment in a full how-to video tutorial. The video will show you how to apply the rainbow design to a clear, acrylic closet divider.

Just want to check out the video? Watch it below!  

Getting Started! 

When I came up with my rainbow design, I loved the idea of using vinyl on a clear divider, but how would I successfully apply the rainbow in the same place over and over?! I thought about having my Glowforge score the rainbow on the divider but I didn’t want the score lines to be visible from the back. Then it hit me! Print out a template and place the divider on top of it! I was so excited to try out my theory! 

For this project, I am just covering the application of the vinyl. You will need to purchase clear, acrylic closet dividers or cut and engrave your own using a Glowforge or other laser cutter. If you would like to cut your own using your laser cutter, you can access my free file below! 

Closet Divider SVG
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To achieve the rainbow look, please download the rainbow design and upload it to your Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio and cut it out using your cutting machine. If you need help uploading your image to Cricut Design Space, check out this video. Pro tip: Completely cut through your vinyl and liner so that your arches end up being stickers. This will help a ton during the application! Instead of choosing “vinyl” as your material, I would recommend using the “cardstock” setting. 

Rainbow Cut File
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By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Image rights: For personal use only! You can create projects using this image for any individual, organization, or event so long as it is not with the intent of resale or other commercial purposes. Under no circumstances are you permitted to resell, give-away, or otherwise distribute any actual files associated with digital designs offered on KarleyHall.com Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Printing and using the template

Once you have your dividers and vinyl all ready, download the template below and print it out using your home printer on an 8.5×11″ sheet of paper. 

Printable Rainbow Closet Divider Template
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By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Image rights: For personal use only! You can create projects using this image for any individual, organization, or event so long as it is not with the intent of resale or other commercial purposes. Under no circumstances are you permitted to resell, give-away, or otherwise distribute any actual files associated with digital designs offered on KarleyHall.com Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

We are going to line our acrylic divider up on top of the template so we know exactly where to place our vinyl rainbows ensuring that all of our dividers are the same. 

Using masking tape, tape your divider in place on top of the paper template.

Apply vinyl using the hinge method  

If you have been around for a while, you know I love the hinge method. If you don’t know what the hinge method is yet, check out this post! We won’t need transfer tape for this tutorial… which in my opinion, makes this even easier! 

Using a piece of masking tape, line your vinyl up and tape it (with the liner still on) onto your clear divider. Since the liner is still on, the stickiness of the vinyl will be protected. This allows you to adjust your vinyl until you are 100% happy with the placement. I decided to tape all of my arches in place at once, but you can go one by one if you want!  

After all of your vinyl is in place, peel back one side of the vinyl to expose the sticky back.

Using a pair of scissors, trim away the liner so that it is out of the way. 

Then push the vinyl down onto the clear divider. Repeat this process for each rainbow arch color. 

Once you are finished, peel away the masking tape from the center of your rainbow and remove the liner on the other side. If you get hung up on any of the steps above, click on the image and it will take you to the how-to video tutorial!

Peel off the tape and enjoy!  

Once your vinyl is all secured, peel the tape off your divider and template and enjoy your adorable creation! If you need to press the vinyl on further, use your finger or scraper to burnish the vinyl. These dividers only take a few minutes once you get the hang of it! Let me know in the comments if you plan to make your own!

Looking for all of the files mentioned in the video?

If you are looking for all of the files used in the tutorial– here they are! Simply agree to the “Terms & Conditions” and subscribe to my email list to download! Your support means the world to me!

Rainbow Baby Closet Dividers (All Files)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Image rights: For personal use only! You can create projects using this image for any individual, organization, or event so long as it is not with the intent of resale or other commercial purposes. Under no circumstances are you permitted to resell, give-away, or otherwise distribute any actual files associated with digital designs offered on KarleyHall.com Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Need help downloading the SVG and uploading it to Cricut Design Space?

Not a problem– check out the video below! And while you’re there, I’d love if you subscribe to my channel!

Ready to try it out!? Here’s what you need!

Have Questions or want to connect!?

 

Happy Crafting,

Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below! 

Have specific Cricut questions?  Join Our Facebook Group!

Join Now!

Engraving with Your Cricut Machine

Engraving with Your Cricut Machine

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This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. I received compensation for this post, but all opinions are my own.

Engraving seems intimidating when you don’t know how to create files that work with your cutting machine! Don’t worry– I figured out the hard part and will share with you all of my favorite tips and tricks in this tutorial!

Here’s what we need to get this craft party started:

If at any point during this tutorial you get lost or confused, click the image and it’ll take you to that exact moment in a full how-to video tutorial. The video will show you everything you need to know about designing a file that works well with engraving, uploading the file to Cricut Design Space, and engraving the file using your Cricut Maker.

Just want to check out the video? Watch it below!  

Designing your file to have a filled font 

So before my days of working at Cricut, I actually worked at the Silhouette America headquarters. I love using Silhouette Studio and actually miss a lot of the features when I am working in Cricut’s Design Space. But did you know you actually can use Silhouette Studio to make files to work with your Cricut machine?! You do need to upgrade to Silhouette Studio Business Edition to export your files, but before you rush off to do that, try out the free version here. I’m sure you will want to upgrade in no time at all.  

This part of the tutorial is pretty intense, so instead of walking through each and every step, for this portion, I would recommend watching my YouTube video. Or if you have no interest in learning the design side of things, scroll down and download the free SVG (scalable vector graphic) below! 

Acrylic Blanks 

Once you have your file set up, next you need to determine what you are going to engrave it on. I use 1/8″ thick acrylic that I cut on my Glowforge. 1/8″ converts to 3.175 mm but when I used my calipers and actually measured my pieces they came in around 2.7 mm. 

If you do not have a Glowforge, do yourself a favor and check it out! But you definitely do not need one to do this project, you can find precut acrylic blanks all over the internet.  

You can even order blanks from Amazon! You will want to order the 1/8″ thick. They come shipped with masking tape that you will peel off before you engrave.

Lining up your project 

I have found my engravings to be most accurate when I line the acrylic up at the center of my cutting mat. Click on the photo below to see how to move your image to the center of your mat from the mat preview screen. Remove the masking from the top side of your acrylic blank and tape it on to your StrongGrip cutting mat using masking/ painters tape.  

If you want your design to be on the underside of your blank, mirror the design so that it is nice and smooth on the top of your acrylic. Click on the image below to see what I mean!      

Engraving Tip for the Cricut Maker 

We are using the Cricut Maker for this tutorial. There are 3rd party engraving tips for the Explore machines, but I personally like using tools that Cricut has developed and tested. The engraving tip works with the QuickSwap housing sold by Cricut. I know they rigorously tested it and it will last through a lot of engraving.

Please note the QuickSwap housing is different than the Rotary Blade that came with your machine. To understand the difference in the blades, check out this video.    

How long does this take?!  

If you use the file below, your engraving will take a while… about an hour! I walked away from my machine and worked on other projects while my machine was engraving. I kept an eye on it to ensure it didn’t jam, but for the most part I just let it run and do its thing! 

While the machine is engraving, the tool will lift and spin! Do not be alarmed, this is completely normal!

Once the engraving is done, I use a lint roller to roll off the engraving dust! 

Enjoy!  

Peel off the tape and flip over your mat and peel it off of your acrylic blank. Remove the masking on the back of your blank and enjoy! 

If you notice any gaps in your design, I would recommend reporting this feedback to Cricut! I made them aware that each time the tool lifts and spins, it comes back down in a slightly different location resulting in small little gaps in my design. Now that they are aware of the issue, they are looking into it and have assured me they will get back to me ASAP. The gaps did not bug me, but I wanted to be extremely upfront about the issue before you invest time and money into your own engraving projects. Personally, the gaps don’t bother me, but again, I want to be very transparent that your image will not be 100% filled in if you choose to have your lines filled as tightly as I recommend.  

Looking for the SVG mentioned in the video?

If you are looking for the SVG used in the tutorial– here it is! Simply agree to the “Terms & Conditions” and subscribe to my email list to download! Your support means the world to me!

Cricut Things Engraving SVG
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Need help downloading the SVG and uploading it to Cricut Design Space?

Not a problem– check out the video below! And while you’re there, I’d love if you subscribe to my channel!

Are you excited to get started?! Here is the list of supplies to get your engraving project underway! 

Extra

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy Crafting, Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below! 

Have specific Cricut questions?  Join Our Facebook Group!

Join Now!
Glowforge Laser Engraved Santa Trays

Glowforge Laser Engraved Santa Trays

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Karley Hall Engraved Santa Tray using Glowforge Laser Engraver

This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Each year I try to create a neighbor gift that won’t end up in the trash… well won’t end up in the trash immediately. Last year I made Santa Cams (I promise they were fake cameras– I was not spying on my neighbors) and they were a big hit with the kids! You can find that tutorial here! 

I have seen Santa Trays popping up all over the internet and wanted to create my own! Instead of using my Cricut for this project, I decided to use my Glowforge so I could laser engrave the design on to a cutting board! If you don’t know what a Glowforge is, check out their website! By shopping through my referral link you can save up to $500! I’ve had mine since January 2019 and have no regrets pulling the $5k trigger. I’ve waited to share about my Glowforge because I wanted to make sure that it was a good as it seems and was really worth the investment– even for us hobby crafters! But after almost a year, I can wholeheartedly say I love my “Glowie” and recommend investing in a laser if your budget allows! But don’t worry– if you don’t have a laser, you can make this project using heat transfer vinyl or permanent vinyl and your cutting machine!

Since there are so many variations of this idea on Pinterest, I wanted to create a free file that you can download and use for personal use!  You can use this same image and upload it to Cricut Design Space too and cut it using your Cricut Machine! If this all sounds like a foreign language– check out this video! Agree to the “terms and conditions” and download your free file below 🙂

Santa Tray File
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Image rights: For personal use only! You can create projects using this image for any individual, organization, or event so long as it is not with the intent of resale or other commercial purposes. Under no circumstances are you permitted to resell, give-away, or otherwise distribute any actual files associated with digital designs offered on KarleyHall.com. If you want to share the file, please direct them here! If you are looking for the commercial license, please visit my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KarleyHallDesignCo Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Resize the design to fit whatever board you’d like to use! I used an IKEA cutting board and then uploaded it to my Glowforge App!

For all my Glowforge owners– I used the following settings:

Speed: 1000, Precision Power: 100, Lines Per Inch: 225 and I used the “set focus” tool to adjust my laser’s focus. This will give you a super rich engrave, however, you can speed it up if you want to cut down on the engraving time.

*Note: depending on the thickness of your cutting board, you may have to remove your crumb tray. I removed mine and used a piece of 3/4″ plywood to elevate my board.

Santa-Tray-with-Karley-Hall-Glowforge-and-Cricut

Once your design is lined up, it’s ready to hit the magic button on your Glowforge and your laser will do the rest! For this design, it took about an hour and twenty minutes to engrave. Of course, you could change the line density and increase your speed to decrease your time, but since I wasn’t worried about the time, I left my settings as is since I had previously tested them and loved the results.

Karley Hall Holiday Santa Tray Engraved with Glowforge
Karley Hall Santa Engraved Tray using Glowforge

I am so excited about how these boards turned out! After they were done being engraved, I wiped them down with some mineral oil and they were good to go! Let me know if you end up making some of your own!

If you don’t have a Glowforge (yet!), you can cut the SVG file out of heat transfer vinyl or permanent vinyl. If you want to use vinyl, I’d recommend sealing your board first. I didn’t want to seal mine, so I used heat transfer vinyl and my EasyPress.

Cricut Santa Tray Board with Karley Hall Free SVG

Ready to try it out?

Here are the links to the products used in this tutorial!

Or if you are using a Cricut Machine:

Looking for a discount code to use on Cricut’s shop? Since my code changes each quarter, make sure you join my Facebook Group to get the most up to date code! The code will save you 10% and give you free shipping on orders over $50! Not on Facebook? No problem, send me an email to Karley@karleyhall.com or leave a comment below!

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy Crafting,

Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below! 

Have specific Cricut questions?  Join Our Facebook Group!

Join Now!

Michaels US Map File

Michaels US Map File

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This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

I had the opportunity to take over Michaels Stores’ Instagram Story where I showed how to make this adorable project! I will eventually post an entire how-to, but while I get my act together, I wanted to share the file and shop links with you all.

Looking for the SVG mentioned on my Instagram?

If you are looking for the SVG used during my Instagram takeover– here it is! Simply agree to the “Terms & Conditions” and subscribe to my email list to download! Your support means the world to me!

Michaels US Map SVG Cut File
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By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Need help downloading the SVG and uploading it to Cricut Design Space?

Not a problem– check out the video below! And while you’re there, I’d love if you subscribe to my channel!

Ready to try it out?

Ready to try Cricut’s Premium Removable Vinyl? Click here to buy it from Cricut! Looking for a discount code? Since my code changes each quarter, make sure you join my Facebook Group to get the most up to date code! The code will save you 10% and give you free shipping on orders over $50! Not on Facebook? No problem, send me an email to Karley@karleyhall.com or leave a comment below!

You can buy the metal map directly from Michaels Stores!

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy Crafting,

Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below! 

Have specific Cricut questions?  Join Our Facebook Group!

Join Now!

Using Cricut’s Mosaic Iron-On

Using Cricut’s Mosaic Iron-On

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This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

I absolutely love Cricut’s Mosaic Iron-On! But the first time you use it, you may be surprised by the double-liner situation. Don’t worry! I have an entire video to hold your hand as your complete your project. Check it out and while you’re there, I’d love if you subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Looking for the SVG mentioned in the video above?

If you are looking for the SVG used in this video– here it is! Simply agree to the “Terms & Conditions” and subscribe to my email list to download! Your support means the world to me!

Mosaic Iron-On Dot Template
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By entering your email you will be subscribed to Karley Hall's email list and can INSTANTLY download this file. Your email will only be subscribed once and you may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy: We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. For questions, email karley@karleyhall.com

Ready to try it out?

Ready to try Cricut’s Mosaic Iron-on? Click here to buy it from Cricut! Looking for a discount code? Since my code changes each quarter, make sure you join my Facebook Group to get the most up to date code! The code will save you 10% and give you free shipping on orders over $50! Not on Facebook? No problem, send me an email to Karley@karleyhall.com or leave a comment below!

Have Questions or want to connect!?

Happy Crafting,

Karley

Hello

I’m Karley

Welcome to my blog! A place where I can share my love for all things crafting with you! If you are obsessed with your Cricut… I’m sorry to inform you that your obsession will only get worse while you’re here! I will teach you everything you need to know to get up and crafting with your Cricut. I am here to help! To reach me, use any of the social links below!